Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-06-30

Italian had been quickest and T-ackee
Dan, leaping from the floor, dropped
lifeless upon the body of his compan-
ion, his own bullet blowing furrow
in the face of the counter.
At once Frenchy, accompanied by
the Jew, Landsburg, went down to the
large log structure which served the
purpose Of Jail. courthouse and public
hall. and gave himself into custody.
1t has been remarked by those familiar
with frontier and mining towns, that
when quarrels therein end fatally the
victims appear to have little sympathy
given them. This is probably because
they many times do not deserve any.
Such brawls being generally among
gamblers, or others who are despisers
of peaceful controversy. the bulk of
orderly people are apt to think them
we'll gotten rid of. There being. too,
for the most part, no kinship or any
thing save present profit or c. aveni-
ence to bind men together, even when
one meets fate he did not deserve.
his acquaintance are seldom disposed
to press the punishment of his slayer.
Either The hadn't nerve" or was tout
of luck, and SO the matter ends.
No one, therefore, was surprised
when, Immediately as the news of
what had happened spread. there was a
revulsion of feeling in regard to the
survivor of the ARRAY, so that a coro-
ner's jury, two days afterward, upon
the Jews testimony, acquitted
Frenchy on the ground of justitiable
homicide, as probably would have been
done any where else.
The first thing he heard. after re-
gaining his liberty, was that Galena
Canyon no longer contained the witch
ing Portuguese. She had left on the
day after the shooting with her mother
for Salt Lake, when it was said they
took passage for San Francisco. Moth
ing could be obtained from the girls
father who, with his other children,
continued to inhabit their dwelling as
before. Whether her "fatal gift of
beauty" was feared, by that frontier
Helen, and likely to excite further strife
among the hot-blooded spirits of the
canyon, or whether some absent lover
was in danger of being supplanted by
the italian, no one ever knew, but GER
tain it is from that time she was seen
there no more.
Just before winter began. as q.
scribed at the opening of the story,
the Guinea excitement ran higher than
ever. so that party was organized to
put out for the new country. Among
others, having made some arrange
ment with his partner, was Frenchy.
He came to our camp, late one night,
and, with tears in his eyes, babe us
goodbye. The next morning the party
left for Ogden Junction. from whence
they came east and engaged passage
upon bark, in one of the Atlantic
ports. for Cayenne. Soon after also
left the mines and heard nothing more
of the expedition. Some three years
later met man in New York whom
l knew in the canyon, and from him
learned that about a year after the adj
venturers left, they began. one or two
at time, to be seen in the Utah mines.
Some half of the number thus returned
with stories of disappointment and in
credible hardships endured. The 9TH
er half had fallen victims to the climate
or to fatigue. My informant could not
remember the names of all who were
left behind, but believed there was one
among them who was called Frenchy.
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